Typhoon tracking toward Japan

People in western Japan are bracing for a very strong typhoon that could make landfall as early as Thursday afternoon. The storm comes directly in the wake of another typhoon that caused minor damage in Japan’s south.

Weather officials say that as of 3PM on Wednesday, Typhoon Cimaron was 380 kilometers west-southwest of Chichijima, one of the Ogasawara Islands.

They say it was moving at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour. And they warn it could dump about 1,000 millimeters of rain over the Shikoku, Kinki and Tokai regions through Friday.

Parts of western Japan that were hit by torrential downpours in July are also likely to get heavy rain.

Weather officials are urging people to be ready for strong winds and rough seas. They also warn that there’s a risk of mudslides and flooding.